'He is an automatic choice' - MSK Prasad backs KS Bharat to don wicketkeeping gloves in WTC Final 2023

India declared a 15-member squad for the World Test Championship 2023 Final on Tuesday, April 25 with Ajinkya Rahane returning to the big stage in what seemed to be the only major change from the squad that played in the Border-Gavaskar trophy. The wicketkeeper batter KS Bharat managed to retain his place in the team after disappointing displays during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. He is the only designated wicketkeeper in the team with KL Rahul included as a specialist batter. 

Soon after the announcement of the squad, former Indian wicketkeeper MSK Prasad came forward to back Bharat's inclusion in India's squad for the WTC Final and indicated that the latter should don the wicketkeeping gloves ahead of Rahul. Both Rahul and Bharat struggled heavily against Australia as few other potential options emerged after the series. But Prasad stated that Bharat was an automatic choice to start in India's playing eleven and termed him as a genuine wicketkeeper.

"See, again, what kind of conditions and what kind of pitch, all those things matter a lot in deciding the combination. If you are going for a genuine wicketkeeper, KS Bharat is an automatic choice. It will also depend on what kind of combination the team needs. If you are going for a genuine wicketkeeper, then obviously KS Bharat is the choice," MSK Prasad told IndiaToday on April 25.

Bharat, 29, made his international debut in the first match of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 in Nagpur as Rishabh Pant was unavailable due to his injuries. But, the Andhra star managed to score just 101 runs from six innings at an average of 20.20 with a highest score of 44 in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad. On the other hand, Rahul opened the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma in the first two matches but scored just 38 runs from three innings.

Young opener Shubman Gill replaced Rahul for the last two matches and impressed with a century in the last match. Gill is therefore expected to open the innings with Rohit in the WTC Final while Rahul may miss out on a place in the middle order with Ajinkya Rahane returning to the red-ball team.